Electric flashing device.



T. J. MURPHY.

ELECTRIC FLASHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17,1910.

1,097,871 Patented May 26, 1914.

I I I v Affest! (g "4%?% y dnventor: 6 I

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res nted Me ers, 1914.

Application m d na 11; mo. mm macaw. I

. rsr msiaaaanaa rnr ja' subject ofithe'KiDg-of Great Britain,

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vented certain new and. a in "Electri'c Flashing.

. Devices, o which the: followingxis' a specifi if whichQ-will' 'fbe "eiceedin'gly intense. without cation.

My invention relates to a lighting 'means.

It has for its pbject to produce a light causing" any substantialdeteriorationor burning out of any of the parts of the ap-' paratusiused. .My invention more particularly relates to producing a flashing are which maybe controlled by a simple switch such as, for'example a Morse key.

electrodes. [he electrodes have The invent on consists in a device which causes arcs to be flashed as'desired between which separate from each other there y increasing the lengths of the arcs. A means is provided for causin the arcs tobulge and; flash outward from etween them. y

The invention also consists in producing a means-for starting the arcs between the electrodes-and a means for causing the arc to bulge outward from between the electrodes.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic arrangement of theparts of my invention showing a plan of the arcing device and Fig. 2 illustrates a front end view oi the said arcing device.

Referring to Fig. 1,'-1 and 2 are the terminals of an electric circuit. The system is connected to a direct current circuit preferably a 110 volt circuit. 3 and 4 are rotatable electrodes made in the form of disks and are preferably made of considerable thickness.

They may be made ofgraphite impregnated with any of the oxids of theearth alkalis or similar earth metals. The disks shown. are located in 'a horizontal position, that is.-they turn about a vertical axis.-. They are separated by a gap but they are located suflicien'tly near 'toenable an arc to besta-rted v across the narrow portion of the gap? They are rotated by a suitable mechanismiui-op-' the city-of Roehesaa'state.

tweefithe electrodes and maintained a short pgliod of timeby the. source of current.-

j STATES? PATENT OFFICE. M, 0am ronm assrcxon-or can-rowan! 'rorunner. a. own, or aocnsraanaw roan.-

. man are isfi li blished aqrossithielec- 3' and e. c cult btw'eenitheftermi- 99. 1 and P1... iih fl 6f currentyill V "the'iesistane f f fs w. -ms he t t p e w the morera "wil .the'fluchi itio'nsh and produccdq The e ectrb'des may be made ad ustable 'w1th respect to: each other tovary the effects producedfin 'inea'nsis provided for 'causmgga lspark toj'pas's across the ,electrodes I sand} n gd ritq start' the m2, Inorder to accomplishethis'a condenser Qis'kconQ nected 1n shunt with the. electrodes 3 and 41f- The dischar of the .teaae ser is regulated by the terminals 10 whichalso c'otiperate the. production of an oscillatory discharge. across" the electrodes. "The condenser .ch'arged by'mans' of-the induction coil 11.

The secondary 12 of 'the'induction-coil 11 is connected to the condenser'9..throug'h the choke coils 13. The primaryl iis connected through the vibrator '15 and adjustable resistance 16 to the external circuit on one side and through the key or other circuit closing device 17 on the otherfw The current passing through the primary 1'4; causes the vlbrator to break the circuit and the potential in the secondary 12 rises to a sudden peak which charges the condenser 9'. An oscillatory discharge takes place across the terminals 10 and the electrodes. The difi'erence of potential of the main line then starts the are which .forms a conductive bridge for the current of high amperage across the gap -be tween. ,the electrodes. The arc. clings to the points of the tw'o surfaces at which it is first started and carried outward hy the rotation of the electrodes. The are tends to @curve outward in the direction that it is carried by the movement of the electrodes, asit tends'tg maintain a position perpendicular .to 'thesurfaces o:- the electrodes. Thelarcis further directed'outward by the operation of the;-field of the magnet '18, fri'ed a: shhrt distance-when it is' finely rup- The are is cart-"r'ired by being stretched. too far by the rotation of the electrodes. Successive arcs are formed in the same way. The arcing is controlled by means of the Morse key which is located in the circuit having the source of high tension. current I which produces the spark between the electrodes,'-which reduces the resi stance and permits the arcing. The Morse key 17 may be pressed as desired to flash the arc. The ,key maybe used to control a tuning rork, such as that shown at 15. Contact will be made at regular intervals so that regular periods of arcing will be produced. In order to direct the light a considerable dis-fiance the usual form of lenses 19, 20 may be used as in the manner well known in the art. A reflector may also be used. l

I have also shown a means for reproducing the signals of light into signals of sound. The rays of light coming from the arcs may be directed upon a selenium cell 21. The resistance of the cell varies as the light changes and consequentlythe current that passes through the cell will vary. A battery 22 is connected to the cell and to a telephone receiver 23. The resistance of the circuit of the battery and consequently the flow of current of the battery being varied by the change in the resistance of the cell the diaphragm of the'telephone receiver will vibrate and change its position relative to'the ear piece as the current fluctuates.

In order to regulate the flow of current between the electrodes an impedance coil 24 and resistance coil 25 is connected in series with the electrodes. The fluctuations due to the breaking of the arcs in the directcurrent circuit will produce counter electromotive force in the coil 24 which has to be overcome, that is, the current requires time to increase to its maximum after it begins to increase These coils may be made adjustable if desired. The flow of the current may also be regulated by the speed of the electrodes.

The system and apparatus shown is se lected as one of the structures which embody the invention for the purpose of iilus- 'trating a practical application of the invention. The invention may be embodied in forms ozfapparatuses and systems and devices in order to accomplish many results without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is as follows z, 1. In a light flashing device the combination of a source of direct current, a pair of rotatable electrodes located-in the cir cuit ofthe said source,.means for rotating 7 the said electrodes-inopposite directions ta carry arcs formed between the electrodes outward in the direction in which the light is to be flashed, means for periodically forming sparks across the said electrodes.

2. Ina light flashing device the combination of a source of direct current, a pair of rotatable electrodes located in the circuit of the said source, a source of high potential current for starting arcs between the said electrodes, means for rotating the said electrodes in opposite directions to carry the arcs formed between them outward as they are developed.

3. In a light flashing device the combination of a source of direct current, a pair of rotatable electrodes located in the circuit of the said source, means for rotating the said electrodes in opposite directions, a magnet for directing the arcs produced between the electrodes outward and in the same direction that it is carried by the said electrodes.

4. In a light flashing device the combination of a source of direct current, a pair of rotatable electrodes, a magnet havin a field located in the vicinity of a point etween the said electrodes, means for rotating the said electrodes in opposite directions and so that opposing parts of the electrodes move away from the said magnet.

5. In a light flashing device the combination of a low resistance circuit having source of direct current and a pair of rotatable electrodes connected in the circuit of the said source, means for rotating the said electrodes in opposite directions, a condenser and terminals in shunt with the said electrodes means for char in the said condenser, the said condenser adapted to be dis charged across the said electrodes'and terminals, a Morse key for controlling the said charging means, the said electrodes adapted to carry the arcs formed between them outward in the direction they are to be flashed and as they are developed, a magnet tor bending the said arcs in the same dlrectlon that the opposing faces of the electrodes carry the arcs.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in of two subscribing witnesses. Y

THOMAS JOSEPH MURPHY. Witnesses: 7 e

lit- ML l LARIN, Goon) S. Tarpon... H

the presence; 

